Glimlag Fees 2026 Marks Six Years With CFAO Mobility Partnership
CFAO Mobility becomes the official mobility partner while securing automotive category exclusivity at the 2026 festival
Glimlag Fees celebrates its sixth anniversary this year with a new headline sponsor, following the announcement of CFAO Mobility as the headline sponsor and official mobility partner of the 2026 festival.
The popular festival takes place on Saturday, 3 October, at the Benoni Northerns Sports Grounds and has grown since its inception into an established event on the East Rand’s entertainment calendar – and this year, one of the few festivals of its kind is being presented in the region.
CFAO Mobility Brings Automotive Brands Together
CFAO Mobility’s involvement brings several well-known automotive brands together under one umbrella at the festival. As part of the partnership, the CFAO Mobility Carnival dealership portfolio will enjoy exclusivity within the automotive category and includes Volkswagen, Suzuki, Omoda/Jaecoo, Kia, Renault, and CFAO Mobility Toyota East Rand.
According to Wian Smith-Venter, founder and CEO of The Marketing Zoo, the team behind Glimlag Fees, the new partnership reflects the festival’s evolution over the past six years.
“Glimlag Fees started with a simple idea: to bring people together through music and entertainment. Six years later, it has developed into a platform where festivalgoers, artists, major brands, local businesses and entrepreneurs all form part of the same experience,” says Smith-Venter.
“Welcoming CFAO Mobility as our headline sponsor this year is an important next step for us. It enables us to invest further in the experience we create for festivalgoers and to continue building a festival that has earned its place on the East Rand.”
Creating Brand Experiences Beyond Traditional Advertising
The partnership also reflects the growing value brands place on experiences and face-to-face engagement with consumers.
Large public events offer brands something traditional advertising cannot always provide: the opportunity to become part of an experience and engage directly with people within their target market.
CFAO Mobility will therefore not only be visible through brand exposure at Glimlag Fees. The group’s vehicle portfolio will form part of the broader campaign in the lead-up to the festival, as well as the experience on the day itself.
Growing A Network Around Glimlag Fees
The growth of Glimlag Fees has also created a broader network around the annual event.
Long before the first artist takes to the stage on 3 October, technical crews, security services, logistics providers, marketers, décor suppliers, food vendors, stallholders and other service providers are already involved in bringing the festival to life.
For many entrepreneurs and small businesses, the festival also provides access to thousands of potential customers in a single day.
“What happens on stage is only the part people see,” says Smith-Venter.
“Behind the festival is a large group of people working to make it possible. Every time the festival grows, that network grows with it – from the people who build the site to the stallholder trading on the day. Wherever we can source locally and involve local people and businesses, we try to do so.”
Connecting The Festival With The Local Community
This local involvement also extends beyond the festival day itself. School visits, local promotions and opportunities for emerging talent form part of the Glimlag Fees campaign, with the aim of bringing the festival to life within the community long before October.
The festival also supports the Smile Foundation, which facilitates life-changing surgeries and medical care for children with facial differences and other medical challenges.
“Ultimately, Glimlag Fees should, of course, be a day where people enjoy incredible music and spend quality time with family and friends,” says Smith-Venter.
“But six years later, we can also see how far the impact surrounding that one day extends. It is important to us that the festival grows alongside Benoni and that its value is felt by more than just the people inside the festival gates.”
Glimlag Fees 2026 Artist Line-Up
This year’s artist line-up includes Spoegwolf, Kurt Darren, Demi Lee Moore, Steve Hofmeyr, Tamlyn Wessels, Dirk van der Westhuizen, Danny Smoke and Martin Bester.
Festivalgoers can also look forward to stalls, children’s entertainment, a beer garden, food and a variety of brand experiences.
Glimlag Fees 2026 Event Details
Glimlag Fees 2026 takes place on Saturday, 3 October at the Benoni Northerns Sports Grounds. Tickets are available through Tixsa.
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